Apple eyes low-power LCD displays

TG Daily Staff, 21st October 2010

Apple has filed a patent application with the USPTO for an advanced LCD display panel that is expected to significantly extend the battery life of mobile devices by consuming less power.

The patent - obtained by AppleInsider - describes multiple "inversion techniques" for an LCD display that could very well end up in next-gen iPhones or Macbooks.

"The application notes that with current LCD displays, the amount of light which is viewable on a particular pixel depends on the voltage applied to that pixel," explained AppleInsider's Neil Hughes.

"Because applying a single direct current voltage could damage the pixels on an LCD, screens typically alternate, or invert, the voltage applied to the pixels between positive and negative direct current values.

"[However], such refresh [methods] often cause artifacts or visual effects that [strain] the eyes."

As such, Apple's next-gen LCD display offers a number of alternative display techniques, including staggered inversions with two lines, one line or any other potential number or combination.

The display could also feature a "high impedance power reduction technique," which may be applied to "idle" lines on an LCD screen.

Such a configuration would reduce eye strain, while simultaneously decreasing power consumption.